Bathing chair with fixing clamp assembly

ABSTRACT

A bathing chair with a fixing clamp assembly comprises a front frame and a rear frame, having horizontal rods, a seat, several gliding blocks, a backrest, a handle, and a fixing clamp assembly. The fixing clamp assembly further comprises an upper plate, laid on an edge of a bathtub, an outer plate, attached to the upper plate and leaning against an outer side of a bathtub wall, a connecting tube, having an outer end, which is fastened to an upper side of the upper plate, a holding arm, shaped like the letter L and having a lateral end, which has an inner thread and is inserted into an inner end of the connecting tube, a holding plate, which is fastened to a lower end of the holding arm and leans against an inner side of the bathtub wall, and a threaded rod, passing through the connecting tube and engaging with the inner thread. By turning the threaded rod, the holding plate is fastened on the bathtub wall and released therefrom to be able to glide thereon.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bathing chair with a fixing clampassembly, particularly to a bathing chair with a turnable seat forconvenient siting down and a fixing clamp assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a bathing chair for assisting elderly andhandicapped persons to enter and leave a bathtub has been disclosed intaiwan patent no. 152697 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,905 (bathing chairpositioning system). The bathing chair taught therein comprises a frontframe 21; a rear frame 22; a bearing assembly 3; a seat 4; a handle 5;and fixing devices 6, 6A. The front and rear frame rods 21, 22 areshaped like the inverted letter U, reaching across a bathtub 1 and havehorizontal rods 211, 221 which pass over an edge 11 of the bathtub 1 ata distance. A right connecting rod 23A and a left connecting rod 23Bconnect the front and rear frames 21, 22. The seat 4 is a plate ofroughly rectangular shape and is mounted on the horizontal rods 211,221, being movable along the horizontal rods 211, 221. The bearingassembly 3 comprises several gliding blocks which are connected with theseat 4 on a lower side thereof and glide along the horizontal rods 211,221. A backrest 41 is connected to the seat 4 by two L-shaped link rods42A, 42B. The link rods 42A, 42B have horizontal extensions 421A, 421B,which are fastened to the gliding blocks of the bearing assembly 3.Thereby, the seat 4 is enabled to glide along the horizontal rods 211,221. The handle 5 is a rod which is shaped like the inverted letter Uand is fastened to the front and rear frame rods 21, 22 at left endsthereof, reaching higher than the seat 4 for providing a hold when theseat 4 is moved along the horizontal rods 211, 221. The fixing devices6, 6A are made of plastics or another suitable soft material and areshaped like strips. The fixing devices 6, 6A have fixed ends 61, 61A andholding ends 66, 66A. The fixed ends 61, 61A are fastened to the linkrods 42A, 42B of the seat 4, respectively. The holding ends 66, 66A areheld on the right and left connecting rods 23A, as needed. At theholding ends 66, 66A, the fixing devices 6, 6A have endpieces 68, 68Afrom lower sides of which holding elements 67, 67A extend away,respectively. Fastening elements 63, 63A are attached to endpieces 62,62A at the fixed ends 61, 61A and are in turn fastened to the link rods42A, 42B to prevent shifting of the fixing devices 6, 6A. Before sittingdown on the seat 4, a user pulls up the holding end 66, so that theholding element 67 is held on the right connecting rod 23A. For bathing,the user releases the holding element 67, which subsequently becomesdetached from the right connecting rod 23A. The seat 4 is shiftedleftward until a leftmost position over the bathtub 1, with the holdingelement 67A being held on the left connecting rod 23B.

A conventional bathing chair as just described assists elderly andhandicapped people to enter and leave a bathtub safely and conveniently.However, completely bridging the bathtub 1, the front and rear frames21, 22 have large sizes and hence are inconvenient to transport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathing chair witha fixing clamp assembly which takes up a relatively small space.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bathing chair with afixing clamp assembly which is easy to transport.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bathing chair witha fixing clamp assembly which is easily and safely fastened to abathtub.

For achieving above objects, the present invention comprises a frontframe and a rear frame, having horizontal rods, a seat, several glidingblocks, a backrest, a handle, and a fixing clamp assembly. The fixingclamp assembly further comprises an upper plate, laid on an edge of abathtub, an outer plate, attached to the upper plate and leaning againstan outer side of a bathtub wall, a connecting tube, having an outer end,which is fastened to an upper side of the upper plate, a holding arm,shaped like the letter L and having a lateral end, which has an innerthread and is inserted into an inner end of the connecting tube, aholding plate, which is fastened to a lower end of the holding arm andleans against an inner side of the bathtub wall, and a threaded rod,passing through the connecting tube and engaging with the inner thread.By turning the threaded rod, the holding plate is fastened on thebathtub wall and released therefrom to be able to glide thereon.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example theprinciples of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bathing chair with fixing clampassembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fixing clamp assembly ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bathing chair with fixing clampassembly of the present invention in the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 (prior art) is a perspective view of a conventional bathingchair.

FIG. 5 (prior art) is a perspective view from below of a conventionalbathing chair.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bathing chair with a fixing clampassembly of the present invention has a structure which is about thesame as the conventional bathing chair shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, withstructural parts being denoted by the same numbers. The bathing chairwith a fixing clamp assembly of the present invention has a front frame21A, a rear frame 22A, and a fixing clamp assembly 70. The fixing clampassembly 70 further comprises: an upper plate 71, laid on the edge 11 ofthe bathtub 1; an outer plate 72, attached to the upper plate 71 andleaning against an outer side 12 of a bathtub wall 14; a connecting tube73, having an outer end, which is fastened to an upper side of the upperplate 71; a holding arm 75, shaped like the letter L and having alateral end, which has an inner thread 76 and is inserted into an innerend of the connecting tube 73; a holding plate 77, which is fastened toa lower end of the holding arm 75 and leans against an inner side 13 ofthe bathtub wall 14; and a threaded rod 80, passing through saidconnecting tube 73 and engaging with said inner thread 76. By turningthe threaded rod 80, the holding plate 77 is fastened on the bathtubwall 14 and released therefrom to be able to glide thereon. Thereby,relatively little space is needed and transport is convenient.

The front and rear frames 21A, 22A are each shaped like the letter L,having outer ends that are fastened to the fixing clamp assembly 70,thereby being held on the bathtub wall 14 as needed.

For avoiding slipping aside of the front and rear frames 21A, 22A andprotecting the bathtub wall 14, inner walls of the upper plate 71, theouter plate 72 and the holding plate 77 each are covered by a stickingcover 82.

A lid 74 is set on the outer end of the connecting rod 73 and is passedthrough by the threaded rod 80. The threaded rod 80 has an outer endwhich carries a handle 81 and an inner end which engages with the innerthread 76 of the holding arm 75. By manual turning of the threaded rod80, the holding arm 77 is loosened, allowing to shift the front and rearframes 21A, 22A back and forth.

The connecting rod 73 and the holding arm 75 preferably havecross-sections in the shape of squares, for preventing turning thereofagainst the bathtub wall 14. Alternatively, the connecting rod 73 andthe holding arm 75 have circular cross-sections, with grooves andblocking elements being provided (not shown).

To adapt to an inclination of the inner side 13 of the bathtub wall 14,the holding plate 77 carries two mounting plates 78, which are fastenedto the lower end of the holding arm 75 by a bolt 79 at an adjustableinclination angle.

Referring to FIG. 3, the present invention in a second embodiment isused in conjunction with a bathtub with two bathtub walls 14, having twofixing clamp assemblies 70 and front and rear frames 21B, 22B. The frontand rear frames 21B, 22B are shaped like straight rods, having oppositeends which are respectively fastened to the fixing clamp assemblies 70.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for thepurpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of theinvention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to thoseskilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended tocover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A bathing chair with a fixing clamp assembly, comprising: a frontframe and a rear frame, having horizontal rods; a seat; several glidingblocks; a backrest; a handle; and a fixing clamp assembly, furthercomprising an upper plate, laid on an edge of a bathtub; an outer plate,attached to said upper plate and leaning against an outer side of abathtub wall; a connecting tube, having an outer end, which is fastenedto an upper side of said upper plate; a holding arm, shaped like saidletter L and having a lateral end, which has an inner thread and isinserted into an inner end of said connecting tube; a holding plate,which is fastened to a lower end of said holding arm and leans againstan inner side of said bathtub wall; and a threaded rod, passing throughsaid connecting tube and engaging with said inner thread; wherein, byturning said threaded rod, said holding plate is fastened on saidbathtub wall and released therefrom to be able to glide thereon.
 2. Thebathing chair with a fixing clamp assembly of claim 1, wherein saidupper plate, outer plate and holding plate each are covered with asticking cover.
 3. The bathing chair with a fixing clamp assembly ofclaim 1, wherein said holding plate carries two mounting plates, whichare fastened to said lower end of said holding arm by a bolt.
 4. Thebathing chair with a fixing clamp assembly of claim 1, wherein saidconnecting tube on said outer end thereof carries a lid which is passedthrough by said threaded rod.
 5. The bathing chair with a fixing clampassembly of claim 1, wherein said front and rear frames are shaped likethe letter L, having outer ends which are fastened to said fixing clampassembly to be fixed on said bathtub wall.
 6. The bathing chair with afixing clamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second fixingclamp assembl, with said front and rear frames being shaped likestraight rods, having opposite ends which are respectively fastened tosaid fixing clamp assembly and to said second fixing clamp assembly.